Presidential poll: I am still in the race for the President's post, says PA Sangma

Sources in NDA said that a decision will be taken with the objective of strengthening the NDA coalition.

They said that while wider consultations will be held with all the chief ministers of NDA, informal talks will be held with BJD leader and Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik, AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa and Mamata, whose role has become very important in the presidential elections.

"The objective is to ensure that NDA gets more strength before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls," a source said.

The NDA is closely watching the evolving situation with respect to Sangma as to whether he will remain in the fray.

The NDA sources said there would be no point in announcing support for Sangma unless it was certain that he would continue to be in the race.

Sangma, on his part, cleared any doubts by underlining that he continues to be in the race and that he had talked to Mamata also to get her support.

"I appealed to her to support my candidature. She was insisting on Dr Kalam. I said Dr Kalam had opted out of the race, therefore, you should support (me)," he said.

BJP leaders felt Advani should stay in touch with Jayalalithaa and Patnaik.

Shiv Sena, the oldest ideological ally of the BJP, skipped the key meeting of alliance leaders here, triggering speculation that the party was opposed to a fight due to lack of numbers.

"Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackerey will take a decision on the issue," said party leader Sanjay Raut, when asked about speculation that the Sena was against fielding any candidate against Pranab Mukherjee, UPA's presidential nominee.

Shiv Sena had not backed former Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the presidential poll last time despite BJP and several others in the alliance supporting him.